It's not just hockey, it's HBO: Cameras invade Caps practice

Tom Poti watches as the HBO camera crews attach smaller cameras to Backstrom. He has a little camera on his helmet and one on his arm. (Katie Carrera/The Washington Post)

An HBO film crew is at Kettler Capitals Iceplex today working on a few promotional shots before they begin formal shooting for "24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the Winter Classic" on Dec. 5. Capitals officials have said this is a much larger crew than the one that will be filming regularly, but the sheer number of cameras, crew members and producers hasn't gone unnoticed.

"It's going to be interesting," Brooks Laich said. "They stepped on the ice today and a couple guys weren't too happy with that. They kind of interrupted a little meeting we had before the practice. Those boys better watch their step. A lot of our guys have short fuses, especially if they start getting in the way of us winning hockey games and business as usual around here."

NHL.com's Dan Rosen was also here to check out the logistics behind the earliest work going into the miniseries. You can check out his story here.

Here are some pictures from the afternoon shoots, where Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble and Tom Poti were the first group under a large spotlight, held aloft by a crane you might see an electrical company using on the side of the road, passing the puck over the Capitals logo on the rink. Backstrom had an extra pair of cameras attached to him, one on his helmet and one on his arm.

you know the only reason they moved real fast with this next thread is so you couldnt have time to shine. They didn't want to allow you to gloat about Hendricks. So @sgm3 reported sent an email requesting they start the next thread ASAP.

If Hendricks earns his way on the team, as it appears he may be doing, then I'm all for Hendricks playing on the Caps. They should take their best 23 players(yes, with roles too). If Hendricks shows he is one then I'm glad he makes the roster and will be looking forward to seeing him play.

chimmytamale does not have a short fuse. Actually, I wouldn't say that any of those 4 guys have real short fuses. Just because a guy fights a lot it doesn't mean he has a short fuse. King is a measured player, he doesn't just go crazy on the ice or react completely out of emotion. Most of the tough NHL guys have learned to control their emotions because they're on a real short leash.

Shortfuse players to me are guys like Laperriere, Carcillo, Avery, Kunitz, Corey Perry, Alex Burrows, Darcy Tucker (of old), Ott, Shane O'Brien, Mark Stuart, Konopka etc. These are guys who if they feel wronged in any way will react pretty immediately. Sometimes that's a good thing because its that reputation that helps create some space for themselves on the ice. Sometimes, its a bad thing because it puts their team shorthanded at some inopportune times.

Bob Probert was a short-fuse player that created a ton of room for himself and his linemates. Because you never knew when he'd explode. To an extent, so was John Kordic although his teams never gave him an opportunity to be anything more than a goon. The last true shortfuse Capital was Dale Hunter. Other notables were Dino, Enrico Ciccone, and a young Scott Stevens.

I'm pretty sure that if a player has the proverbial "short fuse", that McPhee stays away from him. He won't draft him, he won't trade for him. Not making a judgment, just an observation. Now if we'd gotten Bieksa, that would've been the first semi-short fuser that McPhee's acquired.

I think it is sacrilegious to talk about Caps with short fuses and omit Bongos. Nobody will every forget Bongos the Pink Shirted Menace. And quite frankly I'm stunned there hasn't been a wind-up toy fan appreciation giveaway yet. Forget bobble heads, I want combat action figurines.

In the same toy line, you could have the Tyler Sloan cheerleader, equipped with pom poms...of course the cheerleader outfit would be designed by Versace since he makes $700k a year.

actually you're right. Forgot about mr semin. He is one of the very few (if not the only) short-fuse type on the Caps. Although after his incident with Staal he hasn't ever reacted like that again. Could be he was either so traumatized or embarassed by that experience that he is now more forcibly composed.

i think i liked the old Semin better. He had a little more personality esp when he felt other players were taking advantage of him. He was like a sleeping bear. If you awoke him he'd get ticked off and a little unpredictable. And he'd fly around looking to hit some players and probably use his stick a little rashly. Now he's more composed and frankly, not as entertaining. And ftr, I don't think he became less effective as a player when he was 'enraged' either. If he could keep his hooking and holding penalties to a minimum and played with a little more fire on the ice and improved his work ethic to where he wasn't taking an entire period off at a ti e, he'd be a guy no Caps fan would want to trade.

only interesting players on waivers are a towering project on D (Vlad Mihalik-Tampa), and 2 4th line prospects. Kris Newbury and Dane Byers (both NYR)

Newbury is my ideal type of young depth checking line forward. He can play 3rd or 4th line and is tenacious as heck. His NHL career took a big fall after he got a nasty concussion in a scrap.

Byers is a big strong kid who can also fill out a team's 4th line for now and then maybe get moved up if he does well. Another kid who may or may not have to go thru waivers is Dale Weise. Probably my favorite of the Rangers quality young 3rd line prospects. He can score, he's a total energy player and very strong. He's like Andrew Ladd but even more energetic.

the Rags D is going to be an interesting group to watch this year. They have 2 young kids fighting it out with of all people, Steve Eminger for the final 2 spots. The two kids they got in the Scott Gomez trade are cut from the same cloth. Ryan McDonagh and a Russian named Pavel Valatenko, both big strong nasties who play a defensive-minded style.

Here is the thing. This was their promo shoot. From what I have read the actual show is more just following the guys around then it is changing anything they would normally do. I don't see how this is going to be much different then the NHL network's "Day in the Life" series as far as getting in the way of the team and the focus and no one has complained about that yet. Let them get the stuff like this out of the way in the preseason when it doesn't matter. Even if it does take some focus away they are gone in January. The time they are going to be there should not mean much other then for possible seeding but that doesn't matter much either.

"He's picked up where he left off," Boudreau said. "Carlson's going to be a fairly good offensive player, too, and I say that because I find myself telling him the exact stuff I told to Mike Green. Their playing [style is] very similar as far as an offensive player goes."

i can't wait to see Carlson skating up and down the wing with no regards for his defensive game. Then he'll get jumped on by the haters for abandoning his defensive game. When really, the blame will lie squarely on the coach's shoulders. Bruce shouldn't even be allowed to talk to the defensemen on this team.

boy does he ever! Maybe this yr at the deadline he can take all that dry powder and sprinkle it like fairy dust over this team and create a real contender.

keeps his powder dry..i love it. It implies he is always able to execute trades or sign players when he needs to. I think he generally loses out on the players he wants and ends up having to overpay to get a consolation prize here and there.

I for one cannot take another year of Semin scoring 40 goals, it was so not entertaining. I do not want to see any more highlight reel clips of his sick passing & shooting skills. Please give me back the slashing bongo playing Semin...I miss him.

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